March 2, 2007

Everyday, women in the Islamic world are involuntarily circumcised."Circumcised" isn't the correct term, because these young women,in their early teens, are brutally mutilated, typically jumped frombehind in their homes by members of their own family.They pin her down and cut her clitoris off. While most Muslim womenenjoy a life free of this type of mutilation, one hopes they can findthe courage to denounce these criminal acts by Islamic extremistswho continue to mutilate women. We have to understand that theyrisk their lives if they dare speak out. 03/02/07

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http://www.guernicamag.com/interviews/283/infidel/The above URL is to an interview with Ayaan by the leftistmagazine, Guernica. Preceeding the interview is a quick bioof Ayaan.Against the charge that the U.S. invaded Iraq for oil,Ayaanwould disagree. She points out that the U.S.invaded Iraq and did not seize oil, but set up ademocracy.

I contend that oil is part of the equation, but thereare many elements. The tendency to list but onereason for this or that in contemparary politics isno longer useful. One of these elements in Iraqwas that Hussein was no longer contained in theaftermath of 9/11. He knew that, and the U.S.govt. knew that, but the media can't quite recognizeit. It's about asymmetrical warfare. This theydid not consider in their analysis. Plus the factthat the U.S. was committed to maintaining ano-fly zone over Iraq to prevent a continuanceof the mass murder of Hussein. For this reason,if the U.S. were to pull out, the murdering wouldcontinue.

Another factor not in their analysis of the Iraqinvasion is what's at stake for al Qaeda and theIranian Revolution.

There was bound to be strife and retributionsbetween the Sunni and Shia communities, buta democracy in Iraq is a major setback or blockadethat both al Qaeda and Iran must oppose. People,pundits, and political parties have to realize somedaysoon that there is a struggle to set up a caliphate inthe Middle East. It's not non-sensical or paranoid,it's a reality.

It is also a reality that popular opinion in the Westis to withdraw totally from the Middle East.The terrorists know this and are waiting for the dayit happens. Ayaan argues that it would be wiser if theWest decide instead to stay in the Middle Eastto support the democracies. With this I fervantly agree.

Instead, we seem to want to surrender the Middle Eastto the terrorists, and as soon as possible. The simplequestion is, are we willing to cede Iraq, and country aftercountry to the terrorists? 03/13/07